Diseases and conditions can be diagnosed by detecting the presence of diseased cells, pathogen genes, or mutated genes. For some diseases, detecting the presence of mutated genes can also be valuable for determining treatment and for prognosis. For example, detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) gene and the vitamin K epoxide reductase 1 (VKOR1) gene can be used to select warfarin dosages for patients. In the practice of personalized medicine, the detection of clinically relevant mutations can be used to guide targeted therapeutic decisions.
Therefore, there is a need for methods and platforms for detection of nucleic acid molecules and other biological materials.